A study links excessive chicken consumption with an increased risk of premature death and cancer.

Cancer is now the leading cause of death in Spain , largely due to the growth and aging of the population and improvements in the treatment of cardiovascular disease. However, in many cases, it is a disease strongly determined by lifestyle factors such as diet.

For example, alcohol consumption is known to significantly contribute to the risk of a large number of digestive tract cancers. Processed and red meats also contribute to this risk. But now, a new study has found that a previously unsuspected food may also contribute to this risk: chicken.

A 2.3% increase in cancer risk

As the authors of this work explain in the specialized media Nutrients , their results contradict the vast majority of previous research and even existing recommendations, which tend to consider chicken as a healthy source of protein.

Specifically, these researchers found that consuming more than 300 grams of chicken per week could be associated with a 27% increased risk of death from any cause and a 2.3% increased risk of gastrointestinal cancer.

The finding is based on an analysis of data from 4,869 people in southern Italy, participating in two cohorts, who reported their consumption of red meat and poultry (although not some other key factors, such as physical activity levels). This information was cross-referenced with cancer diagnoses and deaths to document possible associations between the two phenomena.

Important limitations of the study

The first thing the authors clarify is that the study does not establish causality : that is, it is not necessarily the consumption of chicken that causes the increase in risk and mortality, but rather it is possible that there is a third, unidentified factor that mediates the relationship.

Indeed, several important factors have not been taken into account. For example, no data has been collected on the origin of the chicken consumed (which could be exposed to different pesticides depending on the geographic area) or the farming method (industrially raised chicken is often given antibiotics and hormones that could affect our health).

Nor was information collected on the methods used to cook the chicken or other characteristics of the participants' diets , which could be crucial in determining the volunteers' cancer risk.

Should we stop eating chicken?

That is to say, in principle this new evidence is not sufficient to modify nutritional recommendations , nor to consider that chicken is carcinogenic or that it does not constitute a healthy source of protein.

Rather, the relevance of this study lies in the fact that it raises the need to investigate how factors surrounding chicken consumption might affect people's health, something that also applies to other protein sources such as fish or vegetables.

Ultimately, based on what we know, the ideal is to continue focusing on the overall quality of our diet , including the variety of nutrients and foods, the portion sizes, and the cooking methods we use.

References

Caterina Bonfiglio, Rosella Tatoli, Rosella Donghia, Pasqua Letizia Pesole, Gianluigi Giannelli. Does Poultry Consumption Increase the Risk of Mortality for Gastrointestinal Cancers? A Preliminary Competing Risk Analysis. Nutrients (2025). DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17081370

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